It's been awhile since I've been able to set aside a couple of hours to turn some pens and I've heard of a few different techniques to try in the process. I found some scrap Purple Heart pieces in my shop that weren't large enough to make projects with so I cut them into pen blanks for some slim pens.

One issue I've had with Purple Heart in the past is that it ends up not as purple as I'd like it to be so I found a few different sites that said to try using a flame to heat the wood and it will darken the purple and make the grain stand out. So I tried it finally and boy am I happy that I did! They look so sharp and smooth and, of course, purple! Here are some pictures.